Randomness

It's been a long time since I have posted.  Life just gets crazy sometimes and you know -- the blog gets the back burner.  I have missed it though.

--  I have a lot of loose ends I need to tie up this week.  First I need to finish all of my ornaments for the ornament exchange I am participating in.  I'll show you pics soon.  They're simple but cute.  Then I need to get some goods baked for a shipment of boxes to Afghanistan for my brother in law and his troop overseas.  I can't do much to help them have a Christmas but hopefully with everyone pitching in we can give them a little bit of a Christmas.  I have to give a thanks to a close friend of mine for taking the time out of her schedule and making Christmas cards with her son's class to go in these boxes.  Times are going to be tough this year in our household but I can only imagine how tough it is for those serving in the military who are away from their family for the holidays.  At least I get to spend my with the ones I love.

--  I'm thinking it is REALLY close to be time to potty train my almost two year son.  I know it seems WAY early for boys but when he takes his diaper off all the time and the proceeds to pee on my floor, I'm thinking it's time.  We've gradually been introducing him to the big boy potty and he takes to it well.  Even goes pee pee and poo poo on there lots of times.  I'm just realizing that consistency needs to be important now and I need to get it done.

--  I have been seeing a chiropractor for about two weeks now and I am soooo ready to start feeling some relief from my migraines.  After I write this I ammy way out the door for my 6th visit.  It seems that I have about three major issues going on with my neck and back which is what could be the root of the migraines that I have suffered from for years.  He thinks that after about 12 to 15 treatments I should be on the mend and feeling 100% but with the severity and length of time I have ignored the issues, it is going to take about 8 sessions until I start feeling any relief.  I have had fewer headaches but they are still there.

-- I am WAY behind on Christmas decorating.  It is usually completed by the weekend after Thanksgiving and I now it is only Monday, but we only have the tree up.  I am hoping to get things completed tonight and tomorrow night so that I can start tyring to enjoy the season.

-- My husband and I really need to take some "us" time together.  It has been LONG overdue and I'm thinking it's going to be a long time before we can. 

-- I could use a lot of prayers for my family right now.  They're needed and we would appreciate them.

From The Eyes Of...

Children's drawings to me are priceless.

James asked me tonight if I wanted him to draw me a picture.

I said, OF COURSE!!

I love it!!

Mostly because it's happy!

Most of his drawings are all about army fighting and things of the sort.

I can live with this any day!

Friday Morning Fun

I can't let Parker sit and eat by himself anymore.

Sure, he's old enough.

And he does great with silverware.

If I'm not sitting next to him though -

He destroys his food and doesn't eat.

AND - he destroys my table.

I have little nicks all over it!!

From silverware, cups, you name it being banged on it.

Anyways - I decided to get a few shot this morning while we ate our FAV meal.

Rice, with sugar and milk.

My hubby thinks it's disgusting.

Mmmmmm.....good.

Now for some ornery ones...

Finally smiling...

I'm gonna be framing this one!!

HAPPY FRIDAY ALL!

Can you Guess? And Something For You!

First off, can you guess what this is...it's really pretty easy!

Give up?

It's my FREE canvas print from  Canvas People.

I finally got it and it only took about a week!

Yes, you read that right - FREE.  You should go check it out HERE and grab one while they are still giving them away.  All you have to pay for is shipping.  I did spend $10 more and got the upgrade to the 11x14 but the 8x10 size is free.

I'm thinking a Christmas gift.

Now something for you...The lovely folks at CSN Stores have graciously offered up a review for Patchwork Chronicles readers. I know a lot of bloggers are familiar with CSN Stores, but for those of you who aren't I'll explain how it works. CSN has over 200 stores and they sell everything from bar tables and stools to shoes!

As soon as I get my credit I'll be picking something out to review that might just be used as a Christmas gift.

When I do my review there "might" be a giveaway for my readers.

Be on the lookout in the next week of so!!

Our Mighty Throne

For our little man!

Costco boxes make all kinds of things.

Stuffed with a pillow...

It's Parker's throne!

He love to sit and watch "Wow Wow Wubbzy" in his throne!

 Thank you Costco for big, study boxes that entertain my children. 

He has been in and out of this box a million times since yesterday and it is still in one piece.

I'm thinking my "small" Christmas budget might have to include getting a few more for some imaginative play with my little ones.

It's All I Have - The Way I Am

So....it's been one of those weeks.  You know the kind I'm talking about {I hope}. 

I love Ingrid Michaelson.

She is my favorite female artist!

If you don't know who she is, you ought to YouTube her.

She is AHH-MAZING!

This pretty much somes up my week...

If she ever sings in Kansas City, I will be there on the front row.

Here is one for all of you "Grey's Anatomy" fans.  Ingrid Michaelson is singing "Keep Breathing".

My Proud Boy!!

In the past we lived in a place where it was next to impossible for James to learn how to ride his bike.  Everyone seemed to think that the speed on our road was 50 instead of the posted 20.  Therefore that didn't lead to much safety.

Sure, we took James a couple times to our old churhc parking lot to teach him to ride his bike but not being able to ride it everyday just didn't make it any fun for him.

Fast forward to today -- he might be "7" but he can ride his bike now and he is PROUDER THAN EVER about it!

My Newest Adventure - Makia Creations!

Have you heard?!  I am excited to be a new distributor to Makia Creations.  If you heard of the "brand new" company you already know it's the next best thing since chocolate!

If you have never heard of them, check this out!

Why is this so cool to me?

I don't have the tools, time or creativity to make my house "cute".

This is where Makia Creations comes in.

They do ALL the HARD work for me and I get to do the FUN part!!!!

A few things you will love about Makia Creations:

*They cut the wood for you.

*They send you the paper and texts.

*If you order a group of 10 or more projects, the price goes down.

*Host a craft group and get free products. This makes for simple craft nights and super Saturdays.

*There are income-earning opportunities available (be a Demonstrator or Founding Leader.)

See for yourself at some of the current projects they are offering.

Aren't they the cutest things ever?  I just want to make them all!

Here's how it works:

I am going to be hosting a Craft Group at my home around the first part of December (soon) so you can make Christmas decor or gifts.

The cost ranges from $15 to $25 depending on what you decide to make.

You get to have an evening out with friends, create a craft with all the supplies provided, and go home with something in your hand that night!!

Not creative...it doesn't matter!

I will show you how to do it all!

Don't want to come to my house for a craft group?

Then you can host one at your house and get your craft for free!

It doesn't get any simpler than that!

What could be better then a group of women eating and crafting together!

It's one night out a month that I think we all deserve!

Let me know if you are interested in attending my "Craft Group" or if you want to host one of your own. 

 

Go to Makia Creations to see more of what they have.  If this is something that you think you would enjoy, let me know and I can help you get started and making money!

You Asked For It and I Got It!

After I posted my Halloween pics, I had a couple of commenters want a recipe for my hubby's fantabulous chili. 

After much prodding and begging for the secret recipe - I finally got it for you.

Let me remind you this is my husbands recipe so "alot" of it is to taste although this is the "base" that he follows.

BIG DADDY CHILI

4 cans of beans (pinto, black, kidney and chili)

4 pounds of meat (we used venison but you can use hamburger or ground turkey)

2 cans stewed tomatoes

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 can tomato paste

2 cans green chilis

jalapenos - seeded and deveined (we used 6 but this is completely to taste - you can certainly add more for more heat.)

green, red, yellow and orange bell pepper (this is also to taste - we like lots of veggies and we chop them big so you can get a big bite of them)

1 regular size bottle of ketchup

3 packets of chili seasoning (2 were mixed in with the meat before it was cooked and then 1 was added to the pan when everything was together.)

Brian feels that the key to good chili is mixing the seasoning packets in with the meat and letting it sit for about 20 minutes before cooking it.  He also cut the jalapenos lengthwise like match sticks so that for individuals that didn't want them, they were easily identifiable so they could be removed.

I have to admit, I was never really a fan of chili but I LOVE THIS!  If you try it let me know how it turns out!

Part of Your World (The Little Mermaid) Mad Lib

I needed something to break up the monotony in my house tonight.  I SHOULD be working but instead I found an online Mad Lib site.  Who didn't love these as kids?!?!

{you have to sing this to the tune of the Little Mermaid}

bolded words are the mad libbed ones

Look at this dog, isn`t it neat?

Wouldn`t you think my collection`s complete?

Wouldn`t you think I`m the house

The house who has everything?

Look at this shoe, treasures untold,

How many wonders can one candle hold?

sleeping around here, you`d think

Sure, she`s got everything

I`ve got cars and trees a-plenty

I`ve got who`s-its and what`s-its galore

You hit thing-a-mabobs?

I`ve got 22

But who cares? No beautiful deal. I jump more

I wanna be where the books are

I wanna see, wanna see `em reading

walkin` around on those

Whaddya call `em? Oh, feet

jumping your fins, you don`t get too far

Legs are required for skipping, dancin`

Strollin` along down the

What`s that word again? lemonade

Up where pencils move

Up where pencils run

Up where pencils stay all day in the sun

Wanderin` free, wish I could be

Part of that clipper

What would I give if I could live

Outta these phones?

What would I pay to spend a day

Warm on the sand?

Betcha on school they understand

Bet they don`t reprimand their blankets

Bright young women, sick of wearing

Ready to stand

And ready to know what the hoodie know

Ask `em camo questions and get some answers

What`s a light, and why does it

What`s the word? yell

When`s it my turn?

Wouldn`t I spit?

spit to explore that shoe up above

Out of pretty lamp, wish frame could be

throw of that couch

{You sang it didn't you -- I did}

{TEE HEE}

Okay - now my fun is done and I'm going to work :(  I hope it made you laugh too unless I'm just deliriously tired right now and I'm the only one that thought it was funny.  Either way flatter me and tell me that you loved it!

Such Beauty!

It's amazing to me the beauty that surrounds us everyday!!

My precious son brought this in to me today.  

He knows me all to well! 

Leaves come and go so quickly that it is hard to realize the changes that they go through.

It is a process, just like it is in life.

We all change little by little.

Sometimes it's just not noticeable until you REALLY look at it!

{I'm just really irritated that I couldn't get a good pic.}

And the WINNER Is...

It's time for my Anniversary Giveaway of "My Favorite Things!"

I use Random.org everytime I do a giveaway but I still can't figure out how to get the Widget on here that shows the winning number.  So you'll have to trust me again on this one.  The winning number was commentor #4.

Carrie @ Dittle Dattle said...

Wow! Congrats on a year of blogging. I can't wait to see what you put together for your "My favorite Things"! Such a great idea :D

Carrie, I'll be emailing you to get your address for your package!

Thanks for everyone that entered!

Good luck next time :)

This Was LOOONNNNNG Overdue!

I must say that this was probably the simplest project that only took about two hours but it was put off for such a long time.  One year to be exact. 

Let me preface before you see the first HORRID picture!  REALLY....it is horrid and I didn't even realize it until I saw it in pics!  When we moved in to the house one year ago this Saturday there was some touch up to be done.  The house is only five years old but it still needed it.  I found an old can of paint and so I took it to the hardware store so that they could match it.  I came home, painted and it didn't match.  Wrong finish.  So I got the same color in the finish I thought it was.  Now it was the wrong color?  REALLY??  It seems that the same color looks different depending on if it's flat, eggshell, matte, etc.  So....thinking that it was five year old paint I cut a swatch out of the wall and tried to get the match again.  Wrong finish again!  I knew it was either eggshell or flat and the eggshell was too shiny.  The color matched perfectly, just a tad to shiny.  So I go back a fourth time and get it in flat.  You guessed it....color didn't match.

This really is how the rest of the walls look in the main living area of my house.  No kidding...YUCK!

I give up I buy a totally different color paint and plan to paint at least the hallway and will attempt to do the rest of my home with it's 12 foot ceilings some other time when I had LOTS of time.  It is going to take a lot of work. 

I finally got a wild hair today and decided to paint the hallway.  It took about two hours to do and that was with Parker "helping" me.  I decided to do the hallway so that my hubby could decide if he liked the color enough to apply it in the rest of the house.  I don't know why I put it off for so long!

I LOVE IT!  I can't beleive I waited soooooo long with those hideous walls in my hallway.  And the color...I don't think I could have picked a better one! 

Isn't it PURDY!!

Halloween Pics {LOTS}

I'm late -- these didn't get posted last night like I wanted.  Better late than never though in my mind, especially since it was a great Halloween.  I still can't believe it is NOVEMBER!

We can't have a Halloween celebration without a BIG batch of chili!  This has become a tradition that we have started and I must say, it's a good one.  Perfect time of year for yummy chili in my tummy!

 We did have some friends come over and bring their "One Month Old" baby boy.

Parker could not get enough of him.

 What's Halloween without some games after dinner before trick-or-treating?

 Parker just kept staring at baby Matthew!

He is amazed everytime a baby is around.

Too bad, I'm done having kids.

He would make an AWESOME big brother!

James got to be the mummy at his Halloween party.

Who doesn't love the mummy game?

 A random shot of me working on Parkers costume amidst the messyness of my house, the day of!

I'm such a procrastinator, or forgetful...could be a bit of both

 My "Scream" monster and my little "puppy".

 My Indian girl!

Nothign special...just made James pose underneath this beautiful tree.

  I hope that everyone had a safe and haunting Halloween!

Now on to preparing for Thanksgiving!

It's going to be here before we know it!